This document calls UK educationalists to take control of using virtual worlds for education. It discusses the need for short, medium, and long-term goals in this area. It assumes technology will continue advancing but that building their own is not desirable. Any solution must use open standards and software, allow safe cross-age interaction, and not depend on any single commercial entity. It questions whether a national project or consortium could be formed to pursue common goals and convince funders of virtual worlds' value, given current budget constraints. It proposes regularly meeting virtually and physically in early 2011, and establishes governance and an identity.

1. A Call to Arms
Education and Virtual Worlds

2. Today's (only) Question
Is there an appetite amongst UK (and
global) educationalists to take control
of their own destiny in the use of
virtual worlds?

3. Timescales

What do we need in the short-term?

What do we need in the medium-term?

What is our long-term goal?

4. Assumptions
1. We don't have the capacity (or desire) to build our own
VW technology – we want to make use of what is there
2. VW technology will continue to evolve – better graphics,
more avatars, in-browser operation etc
3. We like the nature of a truly shared space
4. Any solution:

MUST use open source standards (c.f. HTML/HTTP)

SHOULD use open source software (c.f. Apache vs IIS)

MUST allow suitable protection of children, but MUST allow
cross-age working if required

MUST operate either side of a firewall, i.e. our servers or hosted
servers

SHOULD/MUST support hyper-griding

MUST NOT depend on any (one) commercial company and
SHOULD/MUST be distributed

5. Funding

Assumption: We do not have enough funding
to do all this (esp med/long term) organically

Question: Do we want to try and create a
national project on the lines of the NZ Virtual
World Grid?

Question: Can we build a consortium with
common goals/interests to approach high-level
funders, even in the current climate?

Question: Do we have enough evidence to
convince the (funding) sceptics of the value of
virtual worlds?

6. Moving Forward

Do we want to meet regularly in a virtual
space?

Do we want to meet physically early in 2011?

Do we need Terms of Reference/Governance
etc? If not now, when?

Do we need a name (and logo and website
etc)?

7. Moving Forward

Do we want to meet regularly in a virtual
space?

Do we want to meet physically early in 2011?

Do we need Terms of Reference/Governance
etc? If not now, when?

Do we need a name (and logo and website
etc)?